Canada’s postal past is lined with philatelic gems that are a pictorial journey through time. The Royal Canadian Mint’s Historical Stamps series is a numismatic tribute to early 20th century stamp designs, with colourful reproductions engraved within the “perforated” edges that transform this rectangular coin into a stamp-shaped one. The coin weighs just over one ounce of pure silver, and has a limited mintage of just 5,000. As a pure silver coin issued by the Royal Canadian Mint, this item is HST/GST exempt.

The Design:

Engraved on the stamp-shaped reverse is a detailed reproduction of a Canadian postage stamp issued on July 16, 1908, to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the founding of Quebec City by French explorer and navigator, Samuel de Champlain. The stamp was titled “ARRIVÉE DE CARTIER – QUÉBEC 1535” (Arrival of Cartier – Quebec 1535), as inscribed beneath the image. It was designed by José Antonio Machado and originally engraved by Elie Timothée Loizeaux, as evidenced by the horizontal lines that are indicative of traditional intaglio printing or line engraving. The image depicts the arrival of Champlain’s predecessor, French explorer Jacques Cartier, in the St. Lawrence River near the Iroquoian village of Stadacona. An application of modern colour mimics the brown colour of the original issue, while the double dates “1608” and “1908” and the words “IIIE CENTENAIRE DE QUÉBEC” reflect the city’s tercentenary. Like the 1908 stamp, the reverse also includes ornamental flourishes and the words “CANADA POSTAGE” atop the framed image, while the stamp’s original denomination is represented by the number “20”. The obverse features the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt.